I’ve actually been having fun with summer time dinners this yr. Our days are full, however the evenings really feel rather less rushed, which suggests I’ve had extra time to prepare dinner, experiment, and construct meals round no matter is recent. And with the children at these ages, it doesn’t matter fairly as a lot whether or not dinner is prepared at 6:00 PM or 7:30 PM. Plus, the backyard produce—particularly the tomatoes—has been so flavorful that even the best dinners have felt additional particular.
I do know fall will look very totally different. Our schedule might be full of sports activities, actions, co-op days, and loads of dinners eaten rapidly or on the go. However we aren’t there but! So whereas we’re nonetheless summer-loving, listed here are a number of the meals we’ve been having fun with these days.
These aren’t all elaborate recipes or completely deliberate dinners. They’re merely 12 simple summer time meals that tasted good, labored for our household, and made probably the most of this slower, produce-filled season. When you have a favourite summer time meal you’ve been having fun with, please share it with me! 🙂
BBQ Hen Candy Potato Bowls
These have been one among our favourite dinners of the summer time: roasted candy potatoes topped with shredded BBQ rooster, black beans, corn, avocado, and ranch. I like a build-your-own meal as a result of everybody can customise their bowl, and it makes leftovers particularly simple. I often use already-cooked rooster to maintain this one easy on a busy night time. It’s filling by itself, so I don’t usually serve a lot alongside it.
Why we liked it: Straightforward, customizable, and nice for leftovers.
Make it simpler: Use rotisserie rooster and frozen corn.
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Okra
This was a kind of easy dinners that got here collectively with out a lot planning: marinated and roasted sliced pork tenderloin with roasted okra on the aspect. I didn’t add a conventional carb as a result of we had simply devoured an enormous bowl of popcorn throughout a film, which felt like an excellent reminder that summer time dinners is usually a little footloose and fancy free. The pork was satisfying and the okra was recent from my backyard membership haul.
Why we liked it: Easy, flavorful, and never overly heavy.
Make it simpler: Marinate the pork and trim the okra earlier within the day.
Greek Hen Rice Bowls
Rice bowls proceed to be one among my favourite methods to feed everybody as a result of they’re simple to prep and straightforward to customise. For these, I paired Greek-marinated rooster with rice, tzatziki, and Greek salad and let everybody assemble their very own. They felt recent and summery whereas nonetheless being hearty sufficient for dinner.
Why we liked it: Recent, filling, and customizable.
Make it simpler: Prep the rooster and greens forward of time.
Mackerel with Onions, Tomatoes, and Garlic over Rice
This meal won’t win the award for prettiest dinner, however it truly tastes fairly good and it’s serving to me with my omega-3 targets. I sautéed mackerel with onions, tomatoes, and loads of garlic, then spooned the whole lot over rice. I additionally like so as to add just a little pepper vinegar sauce. It got here collectively rapidly and was a pleasant change from our normal rooster and floor beef rotation.
Why we liked it: Nutrient-dense, flavorful, and fast to make.
Make it simpler: Use canned mackerel and leftover rice.
Lemon Orzo Skillet Hen with Backyard Tomatoes
My lemon orzo skillet rooster has been a repeat favourite for good purpose. It’s creamy, vivid, and comes collectively in a single pan, which is all the time appreciated. I served it with sliced Cherokee Purple tomatoes on the aspect as a result of when tomatoes are this good, they don’t want rather more than just a little salt. However the ladies nonetheless like once I add just a little drizzle of balsamic.
Why we liked it: Cozy however nonetheless recent sufficient for summer time.
Make it simpler: Slice the tomatoes whereas the rooster and orzo prepare dinner.
Floor Beef Burritos
Floor beef burritos usually are not revolutionary, however they’re reliable—and typically that’s precisely what dinner must be. I seasoned the meat, set out the tortillas and toppings (refreid black beans, guac, salsa, pico, bitter cream, rice), and let everybody construct their very own. It was a straightforward meal that happy everybody with out requiring a lot thought or cleanup. Hero model now has tortillas measurement!
Why we liked it: Acquainted, satisfying, and family-friendly.
Make it simpler: Cook dinner a double batch of floor beef and freeze half.
Smoked Pork with Selfmade Pickles and Caprese Salad
David smoked the pork for this dinner, and I dealt with the sides: home made pickles and a caprese salad. The wealthy, smoky pork paired so properly with the acidity of the pickles and the juicy tomatoes and mozzarella. It felt like a really summer-on-a-plate sort of meal, particularly with the aspect of watermelon!
Why we liked it: Smoky, recent, and filled with summer time flavors.
Make it simpler: Smoke additional pork and use the leftovers for sandwiches, tacos, or bowls.
Potato, Zucchini, and Onion Sauté with Fried Eggs
This was a garden-inspired meal made with sautéed potatoes, zucchini, and onions topped with fried eggs. The runny yolks created their very own sauce, and the potatoes made it filling sufficient to rely as dinner. It was cheap, comforting, and a good way to make use of produce we already had.
Why we liked it: Easy, budget-friendly, and surprisingly satisfying.
Make it simpler: Cube the potatoes small so that they prepare dinner extra rapidly.
Lemon Dill Salmon with Rice and Cucumber Salad
This was such a recent summer time dinner: lemon dill salmon served with rice and a cool cucumber salad on the aspect. The intense lemon and herbs labored so properly with the salmon, whereas the cucumber salad saved the entire meal feeling gentle and refreshing. It was simple sufficient for a weeknight however nonetheless felt just a little particular.
Why we liked it: Recent, balanced, and filled with vivid summer time taste.
Make it simpler: Combine the cucumber salad forward of time and use microwave rice.
Bean, Rice, and Veggie Floor Beef Taco Bowls
These taco bowls included rice, beans, and floor beef cooked with loads of greens. They have been hearty, colourful, and yet one more simple solution to supply everybody some alternative at dinner. I particularly like meals like this as a result of the leftovers can grow to be lunch bowls, quesadillas, or burritos the following day.
Why we liked it: Filling, versatile, and full of greens.
Make it simpler: Use microwave rice and canned beans.
BLTs with Avocado on Selfmade Sourdough
Few meals style extra like summer time than a BLT made with a extremely good tomato. We added avocado and piled the whole lot onto slices of home made sourdough, slathered in mayo, which made a easy sandwich really feel additional particular. That is the sort of dinner I stay up for all yr.
Why we liked it: Recent, nostalgic, and all in regards to the tomatoes.
Make it simpler: Cook dinner the bacon earlier within the day and reheat it briefly earlier than serving.
Grilled Hen with Blistered Shishito Peppers, Tomatoes, and Selfmade Onion Rings
This dinner was a mixture of recent and indulgent in the very best means. We served grilled rooster with blistered shishito peppers, ripe tomatoes, and home made onion rings. The rooster saved it easy, the greens introduced the summer time taste, and the crispy onion rings made the entire meal really feel enjoyable.
Why we liked it: A little bit recent, just a little indulgent, and filled with taste.
Make it simpler: Prep the onion rings earlier than beginning the grill.
I do know our meals will begin wanting lots totally different as soon as fall arrives and the calendar fills up, however I’m actually having fun with this season of slower evenings, recent produce, and dinners that don’t must be rushed. These meals weren’t fancy, however they have been scrumptious, sensible, and precisely proper for this time of yr. I’d like to know what has been on repeat in your kitchen this summer time—particularly if it entails a extremely good tomato!
Okay, I’ve so as to add two bonus dinners as a result of they have been so good!
